Thought And Observation

Incentives

After much soul searching, and stretching my brain to it’s emotional limits, it seems that I’ve finally figured out a crucial part of this America game. There’s this great quote on Youtube from Stephen Fry where he talks about American comedy vs. British comedy. He goes on to talk about self-help, and how Americans live for the belief that they can become great at anything with enough effort, and know-how. With self-help, we believe that we can fix the fundamental parts of our personality. Sure people can change to an extent, but can everything about a person change so drastically?

Some people are fueled by quiet rooms and solitude while others live off of the energy that a crowded room gives off. No way is better than the other, it’s just how we are built. And programmed in those key differences are our incentives for living. Everyone wants money of course, but not everyone can live with money being a sole incentive in their careers. People who are more extroverted are usually better at promoting themselves, and thusly find it easier to have money as an only incentive.

As an introvert, it has been a bit difficult to accept, but I’m just not nearly as good at promoting myself as someone who is more outgoing. You can read all the self-help, and communication guides, and the pure cavalcade of literature out there, but that loud extroverted person will always be better at self-promotion. Yeah self-promotion is not everything. Yes introverts have areas they excel at as well.

Those who are more adept at promoting themselves will always find and acquire job opportunities more easily than quiet people. Even when you try your hardest as a an introvert, you can’t really beat someone whose had a lifelong love affair with being the squeaky wheel in need of grease. It’s alright though, that doesn’t mean you need to give up your dreams, or goals, or anything like that. All it means is that ambition may take longer to work out for you. On top of that if you’re a quiet person, you’re more likely to stay somewhere you love and outperform the extrovert in the longterm. We all have to play the game to our advantages anyway. Isn’t it better to accept what you’ve got rather than to waste time trying to be someone you’re not?